Nowhere I'd Rather Be
by quinnovative
Summary: Alex is concussed and Maggie's at her side. (Sanvers)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I'm so stressed and emotional that I couldn't stop myself from writing this. Concussions are a close subject for me and Alex/Maggie make me extra emotional so honestly idek what I've done.

I hope you like this fluff.

Also, let me know if I should write a second chapter. Maybe I'll make it angsty. :)

* * *

"Oh thank Rao you're here, I'm sorry it's so late," Kara says as Maggie let's herself into Alex's apartment. The blonde is halfway between the kitchen and the door, bag hanging over her shoulder; notebooks, journal, and pen falling out of her arms.

Maggie smiles, laughing as she catches Kara's cell phone when it slips. Maggie hands the device back to the other woman. "It's all right. Snapper got you on another article?"

Kara nods, beaming. "A big one; I'd totally stay with Alex because concussions are super dangerous and she took a bad hit but Snapper just called because the reporter who was supposed to take this called in sick and it's a really big deal and I'll probably be gone at least until noon tomorrow but Alex said if I didn't take it she'd be mad and—"she pauses to take a breath and Maggie puts a hand on Kara's shoulder.

"It's fine, I'm more than happy to take care of a concussed Danvers," she grins and Kara laughs.

The blonde drops her voice to a whisper so Alex can't hear. "She's being a little difficult, but that usually means she's feeling pretty bad so go easy and make sure she's careful and following doctor's orders, she always tries to push herself too hard and act like she's fine when she's not. She won't admit it, but she's feeling pretty off and her head is really hurting her right now." Kara shoots a worried glance toward the couch before looking back at Maggie. "You got the instructions I texted you, right?"

Maggie nods and puts a hand on Kara's shoulder. "It'll be fine. Don't worry, Kara, this isn't my first time taking care of her."

Kara adjusts her glasses with the back of her full hand. "Right," She says in agreement, letting out a deep breath to calm herself. "Sorry, it's just that these things don't usually happen to Alex, she usually bounces back in a second and it… it kind of freaked me out today. I worry about her."

"Hey, I get it," Maggie says, smiling warmly. "It's okay."

Kara nods and bits her lip. "You'll call if anything changes or she gets worse?"

"Of course."

"Okay, take good care of her, Maggie," Kara says, disappearing behind the couch for a moment to say goodbye to Alex.

"I will," Maggie promises when Kara reappears and makes her way to the door.

"Thank you so much," Kara says, tugging Maggie into a half hug. "I owe you big time."

Maggie laughs as they pull apart. "It's nothing." She pats Kara's back. "Now go get 'em, Little Danvers."

The blonde beams again and then the door shuts behind her and the apartment is suddenly quiet. Maggie moves toward the couch, sees Alex snuggled up beneath a blanket with her face nuzzled against a cushion. "Hey hot shot, how are you feeling?" She runs a hand through Alex's dark hair and sits by her head. "I heard you got roughed up at work today." She keeps her voice intentionally soft, not wanting to cause Alex anymore pain.

Alex turns around groggily, blinking slowly at Maggie before laying her head on the woman's lap with a soft grumble.

Maggie laughs softly. "What was that?"

" 'm fine," Alex says and snuggles against her girlfriend, pressing her nose into the woman's stomach.

"You don't seem fine," Maggie teases, readjusting her position so she can rub Alex's back.

" _Maggie,"_ Alex groans with a dramatic huff.

The woman raises both hands in surrender. "Okay, okay." She runs a hand through Alex's hair again and the agent lets out a content sigh. She shifts upward into a sitting position, her hair a mess and blanket crinkles outlined across her cheeks.

Maggie grins and presses a quick kiss to Alex's nose. The agent scrunches up her face, a little smile spreading across her lips.

"Are you tired? Do you want to sleep some more?" Maggie asks, thumb rubbing slowly across Alex's leg.

"Am I tired? Yes. Do I want to sleep more? No," she shakes her head and flinches at the movement. "I've been sleeping for hours."

"Babe, you got your concussion at eight. You've barely been home for an hour."

" _Still."_ Alex groans dramatically.

"How about we make cookies?" Maggie offers and Alex purses her lips before nodding eagerly.

Maggie smiles and stands, offering a hand to Alex. The agent pushes up off the couch and stumbles onto her feet. The furniture blurs in front of her, room spinning and head reeling. Then suddenly Maggie's hand is on her back, holding her up, holding her steady.

"Easy there, Danvers. You okay?"

Alex murmurs her response, taking a moment to stabilize herself against Maggie. She moves her hand to curl around Maggie's arm where it rests against her waist and back, holds tight before she finds her voice. "Yeah. I'm okay."

"Sure you don't want to sleep?"

"Yep."

"All right, at least let me help you." Maggie says, threading her arm around Alex's side.

They make their way into the kitchen, where Alex leans against the counter while Maggie rummages through the fridge. "Here we go," she mutters, pulling off the wrapping.

"Prepackaged?" Alex challenges with a grin. "Weak."

"Oh, shut up, Danvers," Maggie says, shoving cookie dough into Alex's mouth. "There, now I don't have to listen to you anymore."

Alex nips Maggie's finger.

"Hey, Danvers, I don't think you're in any position to follow through with where that's going." She smirks and the agent blushes, swallowing and letting a pout form across her face.

"Sorry," Maggie shrugs and arranges the cookie dough across a tray. "I don't make the rules. Doctor's orders—absolutely _no_ physical activity when concussed."

Alex looks at Maggie with wide eyes. "But-"

"No exceptions, Babe. Tonight we're focused on getting you better." She punctuates her last few words with a kiss, starting on Alex's forehead and working down to her lips. "I'm serious," Maggie says, slipping the cookies into the oven and pushing the door closed with her hip.

When she turns around Alex's face is buried in her arms, forehead pressed against the countertop.

"You okay, Al?" Maggie makes her way over and places a hand on Alex's back, tilting her head to catch the woman's eye.

Alex nods. " 'm _fine._ It just hurts and I'm dizzy." She leans up, dragging a hand across her eyes and squinting in the light. "This sucks."

Maggie's heart sinks, she knows things have to be bad for Alex to admit that she's in pain. "Come on, let's get you back to the couch. We're gonna rest for a little."

Alex just nods and accepts Maggie's outstretched arm, leaning heavily into the warmth of the smaller woman. The detective deposits Alex on the couch, returning moments later with pills and a cup of water. "For your head," she offers.

"Thank you," Alex says. "I'm sorry for snapping."

Maggie shakes her head. "You're not you right now, your heads all messed up."

"Yeah it's pretty shit at the moment."

Maggie grins. "It's okay. We'll get through this."

"I love you," Alex murmurs, tugging Maggie down beside her and curling against the woman as soon as she's sitting. Alex let's her pounding head fall against Maggie's shoulder.

"I love you too," Maggie says and presses a gentle kiss into Alex's hair. She raises her hand to massage the agent's head and Alex sighs softly, feeling her headache begin to ease. Her eyes fall closed.

"You're the best," she mutters sleepily, tangling her arms around Maggie and snuggling to erase any distance between them. Alex nuzzles her nose against Maggie's collarbone.

Maggie rolls her eyes and smiles. "So clinging when you're tired. So soft."

"No 'm not," Alex hums, wildly unconvincing as her lips brush Maggie's sweater and she presses impossibly closer.

"Yes you are."

"Nah," Alex whispers, she feels the tug of sleep pulling her further away. "What 'bout the cookies?"

"We'll eat them later."

"Right," Alex says. Her breath is warm against Maggie's skin and the detective is overcome with emotion, she would give so much, she would give _everything_ to keep Alex safe and close and happy.

"Get some rest, Danvers," she says, voice thick with feeling.

"You'll be here when I wake up?"

Maggie presses another kiss to Alex's temple. "Of course. There's nowhere I'd rather be."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** If it's possible, I think this update might be softer and fluffier than the first.

Thank you so much for all your kindness on the first chapter. Keep an eye out for more Sanvers fics, because I love writing this pair ( + little sister Kara, because she's pretty great, too) so much it's sometimes hard to contain myself. So, yeah.

I hope you like this. :)

* * *

Maggie's feet drag across the floor as she paces slowly outside Alex's apartment, phone tucked between her shoulder and ear as she flips through notes. Papers in one hand, pen in the other.

There'd been a discrepancy at the precinct over a recent case and even though it's just past midnight she has to stay on the line, talk through everything once again to ensure that a fifteen year old kid doesn't get let down by the system.

She's nearing forty five minutes on the phone call when she finally passes the pen to the hand holding the papers too, and pulls the phone from the crook of her neck.

Images of Alex shine behind her eyes as she closes them and leans against the door. "We all good here?" she asks after recounting details of the incident. She receives affirmation and bids goodnight to the other detective, clicking off her phone and turning around.

Soft, yellow light illuminates the apartment when Maggie steps back in. Her gaze is trained on the handle as she eases the door closed.

A sniffle catches her attention as the lock clicks into place and Maggie looks up, is met with Alex's silhouette in the dim room.

One hand grips the countertop as her legs wobble and her frame sways.

Another sharp inhale punctuates the still night air and Maggie knows exactly what it means—has her suspicions confirmed a mere second later when light glimmers in the water pooling in Alex's eyes.

"Hey," Maggie closes the distance and has her arms around Alex before the agent can even let out another quivering breath. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?"

Alex blinks and tears brim her eyelids before slipping over, painting tracks across her cheeks one drop at a time. She removes her hand from the counter and puts it around Maggie instead.

Alex squeezes Maggie close and the detective reciprocates the action as Alex buries her face in the crook of her neck. "Sweetie," Maggie whispers and runs a hand over Alex's hair. "What happened?"

A few moments pass before Alex's breathing steadies and she pulls away so there's just enough space for Maggie to hear her words. "I couldn't remember where Kara was, I know—know she was here but I don't know where she went." Alex takes a shaky breath. "And then…and then…I couldn't remember where you went either and I couldn't find my phone so—so I decided to go look for you but I wanted to leave a note in-incase you came back but I kep-kept misspelling everything I tr-tried to write." She hiccups and takes another sharp breath. Her words are higher and shakier, sentences a little slurred. "And… and…" She struggles to remember what she wants to say next and there's a little hitch in her breath and her features fall again and…

"Okay," Maggie says and brushes tears off Alex's soft, red cheeks. She crushes Alex into a tight hug. "Shh," she murmurs as Alex shakes with sobs and then flinches against her.

"I know it's hard, but you have to try to calm down, otherwise it's only going to feel worse and your head's just going to hurt more."

Maggie rubs Alex's shoulder, slips a hand under the back of the agent's shirt and draws slow, rhythmic circles against her skin. Finally Alex's breath isn't so ragged, her movements aren't so sharp.

"There you go," Maggie whispers into Alex's hair. "Good job." She presses a kiss against the agent's forehead.

"Sorry," Alex breathes.

Maggie shakes her head. "You don't need to apologize, Alex. It's okay, your brain is hurt right now but you'll be okay." Alex sniffles. "Okay," she murmurs.

"You just need time."

"Time," Alex repeats with a watery voice and warm lips that brush against Maggie's shoulder.

"Mhmm," Maggie hums.

"And maybe to snuggle too," Alex offers with timid words and a soft smile that turns up the corners of her lips.

Maggie laughs. "Of course." She leans back, looks Alex in the eyes, brushes tears from the brunette's cheeks and tucks hair behind her ear.

"You okay?"

Alex nods.

"You want to snuggle now?"

Alex nods eagerly, then scrunches up her face at the movement and brings a hand to rub her forehead.

"Oh babe, you are such a mess sometimes," Maggie teases as she takes Alex's hand and guides them to the couch.

"No 'm not," Alex mutters and curls into Maggie's side as soon as they sit down, draws her knees up to her chest and leans her head against Maggie's collarbone.

"I don't think your sister is the only puppy in the Danvers family."

Alex's face contorts in confusion. She pulls back to look at Maggie. "My mom's not a _puppy."_

Maggie rolls her eyes. "I'm talking about you, Danvers."

The agent's features normalize. "Oh..." her brows crinkle again. "Hey, wait! I'm not a _puppy,_ either."

Maggie laughs. "Your cuddle habits would disagree, but whatever you say, babe," she teases as she runs her hands through Alex's hair and the woman settles back against her.

Alex shakes her head, feigning shock. "I'm _injured,_ cut me some slack, Mags. So, I want to snuggle with my girlfriend, fight me."

"I, for one, am not complaining; and you, are absolutely not picking fights with anyone for at least a week, so settle down over there, Danvers."

Alex purses her lips and attempts a faux-glare at Maggie, but it hurts her eyes a little and it's so much more comfortable to just lie against her girlfriend and feel her chest rise and fall gently which each breath cycling through her lungs.

"Speaking of puppies and fighting and Danvers, where _did_ my sister go? I seriously can't remember."

"She's working an article, apparently it's a big deal. The lead reporter called in sick so Snapper put Kara on it."

Alex smiles. "That's so great."

Maggie nods. "It is."

"You know what's also great?" Alex asks as she tilts her head to look up at Maggie.

"Huh?"

"You."

Maggie snorts. "I told you, you get soft on me sometimes, Danvers."

"I'm jus' so 'appy you're here," she murmurs and when Maggie looks down she sees that Alex's eyes have fallen closed.

"I'm happy I'm here too," Maggie whispers and runs her fingers over the ridges of Alex's ribs, feels the agent relax further against her touch and into the warmth of her side.

"Thank you for staying," Alex says.

Maggie laughs and nuzzles her nose against Alex's hair. "You already thanked me a few hours ago, but you're still welcome and there's still nowhere I'd rather be."

"Don't make fun of me," Alex whispers and shifts. Maggie can feel the agent drifting further away from wakefulness. "I had a traumatic brain injury."

"I know."

"I _cried,_ earlier."

"I know, it was pretty scary. I don't like seeing you hurt." The detective threads her hands through Alex's hair and with each swirl and gentle pressure of her fingertips some of the ache in Alex's head is alleviated.

"That's 'cause you're soft, too."

Maggie smiles. "Always for you, Danvers."

At her words, a little identical smile tugs across Alex's features and she tucks her face into the crook of Maggie's neck. "Maggie," she begins, eyes still closed. She takes a deep breath. "I love you."

Maggie's heart swells and pounds in her chest at the woman curled against her. "I love you, too, Alex."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** To be honest, I thought I was done with this story, too.

I hope you enjoy this extra chapter. :)

* * *

A little over a week has passed since Alex's concussion and she still flinches, still needs an extra second to recover when she stands up too fast or something thunders or clatters beside her, sends sound waves toward her head—eyes scrunching closed or hand coming to her hairline when she thinks nobody is looking. Because she should be better, she should be okay now but she's _not,_ and it sends tears pricking in her eyes when she thinks about it too hard—that's another thing, she can't believe: the crying she's done. She's fine one second then something spurs her, draws tears forward, and then she feels stupid and embarrassed and it only makes her cry harder.

Maggie notices. Maggie always, always notices and is by her side, with her soft touch and gentle smile and words that are never too loud, never prompt a headache.

Maggie is there when Alex can't seem to ever fall asleep; she's there when Alex needs someone to snuggle with and hug; she's there when Alex misspells her third word in twenty minutes and almost falls apart at the letters that make sense in her head but disintegrate into jumbles on paper, lines swapped and blurring. Maggie is there when J'onn says Alex needs to pass a cognitive test to get back in the field, and Maggie's there when Alex fails and J'onn sends her home. Maggie holds Alex when they curl on the couch and the agent's a mess of sobs because she's worried and she's frustrated and she doesn't know if things are going to go back to the way they were before.

Maggie reassures her and rubs her back and keeps her close all night.

Maggie's there.

The sun has long since sunk below the horizon the next day, when Maggie lets herself into Alex's apartment. Her footsteps drag, heart heavy in her chest. Her day leaves moisture pooling behind her eyelids, she blinks it away; still feels adrenaline easing its way from her system. She closes and locks the door behind her, slips off her shoes and is met with the achingly familiar sight of Alex's features contorted in pain, eyes squeezed close, and forehead dropped and cradled in the curve of her hand. Maggie's problems fall silent in her head, concern for Alex masking everything else. The detective lets her gaze shift down, sees lab reports stacked in front of her girlfriend—work she shouldn't be doing at all, especially not now, when pain is so evidently etched across her features.

"Babe," Maggie whispers, keeps her voice quite; she runs a hand over Alex's back, the agent lifts her head and turns slowly, blinks up at her with big brown eyes.

"Hey," Maggie says. "What's wrong?"

Alex shakes her head, winces just fractionally. "Nothing."

Maggie smiles softly, sadly. "It's not nothing," she says and draws Alex toward her, so the agent's head is pressed against her stomach. Her fingers begin their gentle dance over Alex's head, twirling through her hair, drawing gentle circles against her scalp. She holds her close for the sake of both of them. "I can tell when you're not feeling well." She presses a kiss to Alex hairline before resuming her massage, Alex's eyes slip closed under the touch.

" 'm fine," Alex mumbles into the fabric of Maggie's shirt.

"Is it your head again?" Maggie asks, already knowing the answer and already feeling concern tighten in her abdomen, ignoring Alex's attempts at dismissing the topic.

Alex nods against Maggie, tightens her arms around the detective's waist.

"I'm scared, Maggie," Alex whispers, so quietly the vibrations barely reach Maggie's ears.

"That's okay. I'm a little scared, too," Maggie admits, feels Alex nestle against her. "C'mon, lie down with me. You need rest, babe."

" 'kay," Alex says and sighs, pulling away from Maggie so she can sit up. Everything still blurs a bit when she stands, but just as panic and frustration swells inside her Maggie's hand finds Alex's arm, reminds her of what's important. "Can we take the couch? I don't want to sleep yet."

Maggie nods, keeps her arm around Alex's waist as they move to the couch. Maggie sits, puts a pillow on her lap and pulls Alex's head there. She shifts a blanket over the agent's frame, threads fingers into her hair.

"I love you," Maggie says and it's true. She loves this girl in front of her. Loves her when she's a badass, taking down aliens twice her side; loves her when she's soft and cuddles in bed and snoring lightly as early morning sunshine caresses her face; loves her when she's hurt and her head reels and she just needs a hug and someone to tell her it's okay. It's okay to be hurt and vulnerable and needing someone just to be close.

Maggie loves her.

It loosens some of the ache in her shoulders from the day.

A smile curves across her lips when Alex says it back.

"How's Kara?" Maggie asks, one hand still playing with Alex's hair while the other flips through channels on the TV, turns the volume low.

"She's good. She came to visit me earlier and we talked for a bit about work and stuff." Alex snuggles into the pillow. "How was work for you today?" she asks, and the moment she mentions it, she feels Maggie grow tense.

Silence drags before Maggie answers, voice quiet and strained and quivering. "It was fine."

Alex shifts, so she's looking up at the detective and is immediately surprised to see tears brimming Maggie's eyes. The agent lifts herself so she's sitting upright. "What's wrong? Are you injured?"

Maggie shakes her head, takes a long breath and her tears dissipate. "It's nothing."

"No it's not."

"Just focus on getting better, Alex. You don't need to worry about me. You're the one that's hurt."

"No," Alex says again. "You're obviously hurting, too. Talk to me, Mags."

Maggie drops her gaze from Alex's brown eyes to the pillow in her own lap, where their hands have found each other, fingers twisting together. "One of the guys on my team got shot today."

"Oh, Maggie, I'm so sorry. Is he okay?"

Maggie nods, still looking down. She swallows the lump in her throat before talking again. "I think he will be. He's in the hospital, I heard the surgery went well but he still hasn't come to, yet. I just…" Maggie chokes on her words, rubs away the tears in her eyes before they can fall. "I hate when these things happen. I hate remembering that we're all going to die someday, that our jobs are dangerous and that people get hurt and that everything can change if you even take so much as a second of time to blink. And I hate that sometimes it feels like the world is fully of shitty people who shoot the good guys. He has _kids,_ Al. Little kids that I've met before, on numerous occasions, and I can't imagine what would have happened if that stupid gun had been one damn millimeter to the left. It was _that_ close." She feels her throat tighten and then Alex's fingers loop around hers.

She looks up to meet Alex's eyes in the silence, her sight a little blurred with the tears that have pooled, but she still sees that warm brown looking back at her. "Sorry," she murmurs.

Alex shakes her head. "No, no, there's nothing to apologize for. Are you kidding? I've been a mess all week and not once have you let me down."

It pulls a little smile across Maggie's face.

"Let me be there for you, too," Alex says. "What can I do for you?"

"Just be here," Maggie says. "Just fall asleep with me."

Alex hugs Maggie and when they pull apart, the detective pats the pillow in her lap and Alex nestles back down again, smiling as she feels Maggie's hands stroke her hair.

"You can always talk to me, Maggie, you don't have to hold everything in all the time just because you're worried about me or something," Alex says.

Maggie grins, moves her hand to run her fingers up and down Alex's side. "Thanks. Right back at ya, Danvers."

They both fall asleep with smiles on their faces.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Is it even worth trying to justify all the additional chapters at this point? **Starblaze Knight** wanted a fourth chapter and that's all it took to get me writing again.

So, I _would_ say this is definitely the end but I don't trust myself at this point.

Big thanks to all of you for reading and reviewing and being cool with me continuing to add stuff even when I say it's done. I'm _so_ grateful.

I hope you enjoy this (supposed) last part.

* * *

"Listen to me, okay? You, Alex Danvers, have absolutely got this."

Alex bounces her leg, leans against the wall in the DEO hallway. A stammer of a breath pitters out of her lungs and echoes through her phone to Maggie. "What's to stop me from failing again? I've failed _two_ of them now, Maggie."

"Third time's a charm," she teases and Alex can feel the smile on her girlfriend's lips; a little laugh replaces Alex's shaky exhale. "And even if you do fail, I'll be with you tonight with 'I'm sorry you failed' ice cream, and then you'll try again next week."

"Okay," Alex says and grips her cellphone, the knot in her stomach loosens just a bit. "No big deal."

"Exactly. No big deal," Maggie repeats.

"Plus, failing this one doesn't mean I have to stop _physical activity,_ like last time _."_ She drops her voice to a sultry octave and tugs a laugh from Maggie this time.

"See, Danvers? You've got all the important things covered at this point anyway."

Alex grins and her heart thunders even though her stomach hurts with nerves when she checks the time and realizes she has her cognitive test scheduled in five minutes. "I have to go. It's time."

"You're going to do great, babe. I know it, all right? No stress."

"Thanks, Maggie. I love you." Alex cracks her fingers and straightens up, smoothing her shirt as she loops an internal pep talk through her head. Every word sounds like Maggie's.

"I love you, too. I'm getting off work now, so I'll be there when you're done."

"You mean when I pass?" Alex adds, a cocky smirk on her lips. It's time for confident, collected Agent Danvers to take over.

Maggie grins. "That's my girl."

/

She knows it didn't go well the second her eyes land on Alex's hunched form, on the shoulders slumped and hands fidgeting in the empty hallway. Maggie quickens her steps and Alex is nearly in tears the moment Maggie reaches her.

"It's okay," Maggie says immediately and stops in front of Alex, the detective spills out words, desperate to strike something that will alleviate the pain she sees etched across Alex's features. "Don't worry about it. It doesn't mean anything important." She hates to see a test disintegrate Alex like this, tear her apart every week. But failing has always been especially hard for Alex, seems to unsettle something deep and ingrained inside her.

Alex doesn't say anything, just grabs Maggie's wrist and leads her into an empty interrogation room. The agent drops Maggie's arm when they enter, twists to lock the door. When she turns back around her tears have already begun spilling over.

"It means _everything_ important," she cries and Maggie pulls her into a hug. Alex stands limp as Maggie strokes her hair and holds her.

"I know, I just meant that it's not permanent," Maggie says. "You'll get it next time, I can feel it-"

Alex shakes her head, a sob falling from her lips. "You said that last time."

"-And you still have me and Kara, no matter what. You still have your job, you can still do science, and I know it doesn't feel like it right now, but this isn't the end of everything. You only need the cognitive test for the field at this point. It's not the only important thing." Alex shakes her head and Maggie continues. "I know how much this means to you, Danvers, and I'm so sorry."

Alex sniffles. "It feels like I can't do anything right and you all have to baby me like I'm fr-fragile, like I'm going to break."

"No, Alex, you are so _so_ strong. That's not even a question." Maggie interjects but Alex continues.

"And here I am crying and we were supposed to have—have fun tonight and you're wasting all your time with me because I can't get better. I _can't._ I'm worthless at this point. _"_

"That's not true, Danvers. You are not a waste of my time and you are never worthless. Plus, you're already getting better, babe."

"Not fast enough!" Alex yells and pulls out of Maggie's embrace. "I was so close this time, Maggie! I was so damn close." Her eyes squeeze closed and her fist clenches tight and she kicks the leg of the table, foot smashing into the metal.

" _Shit."_

She hunches over, her head hitting the table. She freezes. Her face visibly pales as she looks up, anger simmering into fear.

"I'm so stupid. I am _so_ stupid." A hand raises to grasp her head.

"No you aren't," Maggie whispers and pulls Alex toward her as the fight drains out of the agent's body. "You're just hurting. It's okay. It's understandable."

Alex looks up at her with big, water eyes and bottom lip quivering again. "I'm sorry," she breathes out. "I didn't mean to do it and I didn't mean to fail and I—" Her breath trembles. "I'm _sorry."_

Maggie shakes her head. "Don't be. Come on," she loops her arm around Alex's waist and presses a kiss to her pounding head. "Let's get you home and put some ice on that."

Maggie doesn't let go of Alex at all that night while they sleep. They don't talk after they climb into bed, they say everything they need through gentle touches and firm embraces and steadied breath and synchronized heartbeats.

/

"I need to pass this time, Maggie. It's been a month," Alex says into the phone. It's the same situation all over again. The same thing, the fourth time.

"You need to do the best you can do and we'll figure out the rest later, no matter what happens."

"Last time sucked," Alex says as she spins slowly in her office chair in the lab

"But you were so close."

"The third time is supposed to be the charm."

"Whoever says that is an idiot. It doesn't even mean anything."

"Maggie, you said that." Alex smirks a little, sticks out her foot to stop her spinning.

"Whatever."

Alex laughs and Maggie feels a smile tug across her lips at the sound.

"You're going to do great, babe."

"I'm pretty sure you said that last time, too. It's a curse. Take it back."

Maggie rules her eyes. "You're going to suck. Like that better, Danvers?"

"Absolutely not. _You_ know what I like." She sticks out her tongue and wishes Maggie were there.

The detective snorts. " _Okay."_

She glances at the clock on her computer screen. "Shit, I have to go."

"Go get 'em, tiger."

Alex laughs and scrunches her nose as she drags a hand through her hair. "Stop being weird. Should I expect to see you when I finish?"

"I wish, but I'm about to get wrapped into a debriefing. I'll do my best to get there as fast as I can though, all right?"

"I guess," Alex says dramatically.

"Bye, softie."

"Bye."

"I love you. Good luck."

"Thanks, Maggie." Nervousness curls in Alex's stomach, she squeezes her eyes closed and takes a deep breath. "I love you, too."

/

It's an hour later when Alex leaves the exam room, test done and results processed. Her head is ducked, lips tugged down to suppress a small smile as she crosses through the crowded bullpen. She has to preserve some of her badass reputation here at the DEO. But then she hears her name and she knows it's Maggie before she even looks up and any semblance of stoicism is lost.

"I got out early," Maggie says, voice carrying across the room.

A grin splits across Alex's face, she's bright eyed and beaming.

And suddenly the distance between she and Maggie is far too large and closing far too slowly, so she picks up her pace and if she jogs (… _runs)_ a little, no one says anything.

When Maggie's within arms' reach Alex tugs her forward, crashes their lips together. Maggie grins against Alex's own smiling mouth as they kiss, presses up on her toes and pulls Alex closer.

" _Danvers,_ wow," Maggie says when they break apart, both a little breathless.

"I did it! I passed!" Alex is smiling so wide, radiating so much happiness and love that moisture gathers in the corners of her eyes.

"With a kiss like that, I figured," Maggie says with her own smile. "I'm so proud of you, Alex. I knew you could do it."

"I couldn't have done it without you. We did it." She doesn't know what she's ever done to deserve the woman in front of her.

"You're my ride or die, Danvers. I couldn't let you slip away."

"I'm so lucky you're my girlfriend, Maggie. I'm so damn lucky."

"Me too." Maggie smiles.

"No." Alex shakes her head. "Like, I'm _so_ lucky. I can't ever thank you for staying with me through all of this. For always knowing what to say or what to do, for never getting frustrated. I'm so lucky," she says again. "and I'm so grateful."

"I think I know the feeling," Maggie says with shiny eyes and big dimples. "I'm so proud of you, Alex."

A beat passes with eyes locked and lips smiling, before Alex pulls Maggie into a tight hug and if the detective's feet lift off the floor… well, no one says anything about that either.


End file.
